As far as comic book movies go, The Avengers is nearly perfect. With a cast of big name actors (Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Downey, Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo) portraying iconic comic book heroes (Nick Fury, Iron Man, Black Widow, Captain America, Hawkeye, Hulk), it is the most ambitious comic book movie adaptation to date; easily eclipsing last year’s X-Men: First Class. Featuring a handful of major Marvel characters, who each receive adequate screen time while not making the physics of any of them seem “unreal”, was surely one of the film’s more difficult tasks. The fact that Whedon pulled it off should serve notice to the powers-that-be at D.C. Comics that their universe, long bolstered only by the recent successful Batman movies (I refuse to accept television’s Smallville as a significant representation of the D.C. Universe) desperately needs a cohesive direction for its major characters (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash) that can culminate in a Justice League of America super-movie.
While The Avengers was nearly perfect, the fanboy in me believes that there were a few opportunities missed:
1. I’m pretty sure I never heard the phrase, “Avengers assemble!” This despite the fact that the phrase is the film’s UK title.
2. This movie, the final fight of which occurs in New York City, was DYING for a Spider-Man cameo. In fact, I was quite surprised when Spider-Man wasn’t part of the after-credits scenes. I realize that the Spider-Man reboot has not yet occurred BUT how cool would it have been to see Spidey saving civilians in the background during the hectic fight scenes? Marvel, if you are going to consolidate your universe, don’t half-ass it!
3. No mention of mutants? It would have been very easy during the scenes showing the destruction of NYC on various television screens/news reports to show mutants native to New York City battling the alien invaders.
4. Loki’s true form, that of a frost giant, was not revealed. A perfect time for that would have been during Loki’s (brief) battle with the Hulk.
I realize that those are all nit-picky fanboy gripes. So here are my non-fanboy gripes:
1. The 3D made the action sequences seem too animated, even for a comic book movie.
2. The invading aliens, who apparently possess impressive technology, do not have defense systems which can automatically track and destroy an incoming missile?
3. Apparently English is the standard language of the universe. Loki and Thor at least should have been bickering at each other in some archaic language.
Despite these gripes, the movie earns its A grade. In fact, Whedon’s success handling this multi-franchise mega-flick has given me a new hope that someday we might see the holy grail of Marvel ensemble stories, The Secret Wars, on the big screen. One can dream, can’t one?
